Stop watch



2 shets-sheet 1.

(No Model.)

F. PITT.

STOP WATCH.

No. 310,936. Patented Jan. 20, 1885.

VVITNEEEEE:

(No Mdel.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

F; PITT.

STOP WATCH.

No. 310,936. Patented Jan. 20, 1885.

WIT'NEEEE UNITED STATES PATENT FFICEO FREDERICK FITT, OF CHAUX-DE-FONDS, NEUCHTEL, SVITZERLAND.

STOP-WATCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 310,986, dated January 20, 1885.

A pplicaiion filed January Q2, 1894. (Xo modell Patented in England January 7, 188i, No. S92.

T0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK FTTT, of ChauX-de-Fonds, in the Canton of Neuchatel, Switzerland,watch-maker, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Chronographs; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description ofthe same.

My invention relates to that class of timekeepers commonly known as stop-watches.

The invention consists in a novel construetion of parts, whereby all the advantages of former expensive constructions may be secured at a Very small cost.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a face view of my improved chronograph complete; Fig. 2, a face view with the dial-plate and hands removed, the parts set to allow the hands to move; Fig. 3, a similar view with the friction or stop plate removed and the parts set as in Fig. 2; Fig. 4, a Similar view with the friction-sleeve of the second-hand removed; Fig. 5, a face view of the friction or stop plate; Fig. 6, a face view of the friction-sleeve detached; Fig. S, a face view of the cam-wheel at the back of the ratchets, which controls or effects the movements of the stop devices, showing also other parts; Fig. '7, an edge View of the friction-plate and its controlling devices.

Stop-watehes have hitherto been made in a variety of forms, but may be grouped under two general heads or classes, viz: those in which the stop-hands may be started, stopped, and returned to their starting-point without in any way interfering with the ordinary timemovement proper; second, those in which the stopping and starting of the stop-hands causes a simultaneous stopping and starting ot' the timer. The iirst of these involves an expensive and complicated gearing, and the second are useless as time-keepers when used as chronographs, the time being interfered with, as will be readily observed.

The object of my invention, therefore, is to combine with a watch or time-keeper the stophands and dials, with simple and convenient means for connecting said hands with or disconnecting them from spindles of the timemovement, so that the stop-hands may be controlled and manipulated without in any way affecting the time-movement proper, and without a separate train. rIhis I accomplish by the construction shown in the drawings,which construction may be embodied in different i'orms involving the same principle.

A, Fig. l, indicates a watch-case containing a time-movement of any approved construction capable ot' carrying and giving the requisite motion to an hour-hand, B, and minute-hand C of a time-keeper proper, these hands being represented in the drawings as of small size and traveling over a small dial or properly-divided circle, D, within the circle of the main dial V. Two spindles, E and F, independent of and additional to the spindle G ofthe timer proper, extend through the pillar-plate and dial, as shown in Figs. l, 2, 3, and et, adapted to carry, respectively, the second-hand II and independent minute-hand I of the stop-watch, asin Fig. l.

In the drawings I have represented the second-hand spindle F as located at the center of the dial, which location is adopted primarily because the hand is made to indicate seconds and fractions of seconds-in the present instance iii'ths--and a large circle is necessary to enable the spaces to be large enough to be readily distinguishable in reading. rIhe independent minute-hand I is arranged to travel over a small circle or dial within or upon the main dial, which is shown divided into fifteen parts, in order to give ample room for the divisions, and yet cover a snflieient space or length ot` time for all ordinary purposes ot' a stop-watch. I desire to have it understood, however, that while this arrangement is preferred, it is not essential, the invention being applicable alike to a variety of movements. In some cases the independent minute-hand may be omitted, or it may be carried by the central spindle and the second-hand by a sleeve encircling the same, or vice versa.

Having thus explained the only essential characteristics of the time-movement, I will now describe the mechanism by which the stop-hands are operated and controlled.

The second-hand II and minute-hand I are each carried by a sleeve or collar, a, adapted to loosely encircle the spindles E F, and provided with a heart-shaped disk or plate, I), carrying a light friction-spring, c, which bears IOO against the side ol' the spindle and produces just sufiicient friction to cause the disk, collar, and hand to travel with the spindle when not held against such movement.

J indicates a pivoted lever, which is thrown against the heart-shaped disk or plate Z), and serves to carry back the hand connected therewith, these being essentially the same as in ordinary ily-back stop-watches already in use. The lever is furnished with two arms, in order to act simultaneously upon the disks of both the second and the minute hand.

K indicates a i'lat plate or spring, which is very light, thin, and elastic, and which is of such shape as to extend laterally over both spindles E and F, which project through per- :t'orations d in said plate. The rear end of spring-plate K is held beneath the fixed end ol" spring L, which presses the shifting-lever M of the winding-clutch N, which latter' parts are of ordinary construction and arrangement. `The sl'iring-plate is held against lateral movement by means of a stud or pin, e, projecting from the pillarplate through a hole or opening in the spring-plate, as shown. Obviously, however, other means oi' securing` the spring-plate in place may be adopted. A spring-arm, 0, Figs. 2, 3, and 4, is securedat one end to the pillar-plate, and is 'furnished at its free opposite end with a lateral ear or proj ection,f, which may be conveniently made of wire bent into proper form. This wire or projecting lip is arranged to project at all times over the curved or beveled end of the spring-plate K a short distance, but is arranged to be moved more or less upon the beveled end g thereof, so as to depress the plate and cause it to bear upon the end of the'collars e, which bear Athe stophands, or to release the plate and relieve said collars ot' the friction ol" the plate or spring K, whereupon the hands` will again begin their travel. with and about their spindles. This springplate and the mechanism for controlling its action and the action ot' the ily-back77 lever constitute the essential features ot my improvements.

Referring now to Figs. 2, 3, and 4 the construction and arrangement ot' this mechanism will be seen, and in Fig. 7 the cam-wheel and the parts immediately associated therewith are shown on a larger scale.

A combined ratchet and cam wheel, P, (sh own on an enlarged scale in Fig. 7,) is mounted upon a pivot or axle, l), secured to the pillarplate. This wheel consists of an inner portion provided with a series ol" notches, li, having abrupt walls i at one side, and curved or camshaped faces j at the other side, extending from the bottolns of the recesses up to the circumference of the cam wheel or disk, each notch being about one-half the width ofthe portion remaining between it and the next,which portion is concentric with the axle of the disk.

The ratchet portion ot'wheel l) is composed of a series of ratchet-teeth, 7o, of which there are three for each notch 7L of the cam portion ol' the wheel. The notches 71. permit the nose Z of spring-arm O to drop into them when the wheel P is turned to bring the notches successivel y opposite said nose, and the inclines or cam-faces j serve to throw said nose and thc arm O outward. As the arm O is crowded outward the lip f bears upon the beveled or curved end of plate K and depresses it, causing it to stop the stop-hands, as explained 5 but when the nose Z drops into one of the notches 71, the lip or extension .f rides back sufficiently to permit the plate K to spring up and risc clear ot' the collars (i, on which said hands are secured, leaving them free to turn with the spindles E F. The notches 7L in like manner permit a inger orextension, m, oi' the ily-back lever J to drop into them when they come opposite said iinger, and to i'orce thelever back when turned, so that the notches are out ot' line with said finger. lVhcu a notch is brought into line with the finger m, the lever is thrown inward by a spring, Q, and its arms, coming against the heart-shaped disks b b, carry them aud their hands around to the starting points in the ordinary manner. The nose Zot' springarm O and the linger m of lever J are so arranged with reference to the notches h that as the nose Z drops into one notch the finger m is crowded out of another; hence, as the lateral extension or ear f releases springplate K and sets the stophands free, so far as said plate is concerned, the lever .Tis likewise thrown back out otl Contact with the heartshaped disk b, and the hands are thus made wholly lree to turn with the spindles E F. At the next movement ot' wheel l), which is rotatcd one tooth at a time, the spring-arm O is forced back and depresses plate K, thereby holding thc collars a and heart-shaped disks I) fast at whatever point they may have reached at the time, the lever J being unai'iected by this movement oi wheel l). The third or next movement ot' wheel l?, however, brings a notch, It, beneath the linger m, and permits spring Q, to throw lever J inward, thus returning the heart-shaped disks to their starting-points and holding them and their hands at such points until the first movement is rcpeated.

To etlect the ste] )by-step rotation oi" wheel l?, I provide a lever, t, one end ol" which connected in any suitable manner with a push pin or button, S, projecting through the ring ot' the case and adapted to be readily pressed inward by the thumb or linger, and the other end of which carries a dog or click, a, which engages with the ratchet-teeth 7.1, and serves to move the wheel about its axis. The movement ot' the push-pin S and lever lt are sullicient to rotate the wheel the length ol' one tooth only. The lever lt and its dog a are thrown and normally held forward by a spring, T, which, bearing against a tail or rearward extension, o, ol" the dog, also holds its nose in engagement with the teeth oi" the ratchet, thereby rendering a separate spring unnecessary for this purpose. A pawl or dog, U, en

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gages with the teeth h, to prevent its turning accidentally or beyond the required distance. The parts being thus constructed, the time` movement runs as usual, and the stop-hands may remain at rest or may be permitted to travel with the others, as will be desirable,in order to avoid even the very slight drag or retarding effect of the friction devices by which the hands are caused to turn with the spindles. Assuming, however, that the timemovement is running as usual, but the hands II and I are held out of action by the lever J and plate or spring K, then the iirst movement of the push-pin will cause both the lever and spring to free the hands, which will then run forward regularly until the instant for taking the time elapsed arrives, whereupon the second movement of said pin is made, and the hands are stopped and held stationary at whatever point they may have reached. Thetime being taken or recorded, a third movement of the pushpin returns the hands to the starting-point, ready for a new series ot' operations.

It is obvious that the form of the friction spring or plate K may be varied as desired to suit any style of movement, and that its action may be reversed, so that it shall normally press upon the collars and be freed by a movement of the push-pin or other device.

I am aware that watches have heretofore been made with stop-hands adapted to be connected with the spindles of the ordinary timer, stopped,anddisconnected therefrom, so as to cause both the ordinary time-movement and the stop-hands to be driven by one spring and train; and I am also aware that such a watch has been provided with a pa wl,and a push-pin for operating the pawl, by which the starting, stopping, and return ot' the stophands could be controlled. I therefore make no broad caim thereto.

I am also aware that it is not broadly new to apply special stop-hands to the spindle ot'an ordinary time-movement, and that such hands have been carried by collars having disks which wereheld out of action by heilig pressed against a fixed bridge or plate while the spin` dle continued to rotate.

In the only prior mechanism known to me embodying the construction just explained, the necessary pressure and friction for holding the special or extra hands out of action were secured by means of a lever having a beveled edge to bear against a similarly-beveled edge ot' a disk on the collar ot' one ofthe special hands, the lever acting at right angles to the spindle, and consequently holding the collar against the spindle with considerable force, thereby unavoidably producing a friction sufiicient to materially retard the movement of the watch train. Under my construction, however, the pressure is applied i'acewise to the collar, or in the direction of the axis of the spindle, and no lateral pressure whatever upon the spindle is occasioned in stopping the extra hands.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim isl. In combination with a watch-spindle, a collar encircling said spindle, provided with a friction device to clasp the spindle and with a hand, and a spring-plate adapted and arranged to bear facewise upon the collar and to exert a pressure only in the direction of the length of the spindle, or to be raised therefrom as required, whereby the collar can be held against rotation without producing lateral pressure or friction upon the spindle.

2. In combination with a spindle of a watchmovement, a collar, a, provided with a hand, a disk, I), and spring c, to bear against the spindle, spring-plate K, adapted and arranged to bear facewise upon the collar and to exert a pressure thereon only in the direction of the axis of the spindle, and means, substantially such as described and shown, Vfor raising and lowering the spring-plate to remove or apply pressure from or to the collar.

3. In combination with spindle E F of a watch-movement and with frietional collars a, encircling said spindle, and provided with hands, spring-plate K, provided with perforations d, to encircle the spindles, and means, substantiallysuch as shown and described, for raising and lowering the spring-plate.

it. The eon'vbination, substantially as described and shown, ot' a watch-movement having` a dial and a cylindrical spindle, a collar, c, encircling said spindle and provided with a friction-spring to bear thereon, and with a hand, spring-plate K, overhanging the collar, spring-arm 0, having a lateral ear overlapping` plate K, cam-wheel I), provided with notches h, and means, substantially such as shown and described, for imparting a step-bystep rotation to said wheel.

5. In combination with a watch-movement having a dial and a cylindrical spindle, afriction-collar encircling said spindle, and provided with a hand, spring-plate K, overhanging the collar, spring-arm O, having lip j", overlapping the plate K, wheel l?, provided with notches 72 and teeth k, lever It, push-pin S, dog` n, and spring T, substantially as set forth. i

t5. The herein-described chronograph, consisting of a time-movement provided with the ordinary time-hands and with cylindrical spindles E F, collars c, encircling said spindles, and provided with hands H I, heart-shaped disks b, and springs c, spring-plate K, forked lever J, spring-arm O, provided with lateral extension j", wheel I, provided with notches L and teeth 7a, lever It, push-pin S, and dog a, all combined and arranged to operate substantially as explained.

FREDERICK FITT.

Witnesses:

TH. Scrrwon, S. BOELTZ.

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